On the Road: A Multimedia, Multigenre Writing Project in a Gen-Ed Lit Class
English 216, "The Road" asked students to look at a range of fiction and films, mostly American though a few from other nations, that explore how writers and film-makers have reacted to roads and cars. The class was writing-intensive but also experiential. Students not only saw the film Heart Like a Wheel, about drag-racing champion Shirley Muldowney; they also went to Richmond Dragway to watch the races (and one of them ran his car down the quarter-mile a few times). A major part of this course involved an actual road-trip.
Anna Dounce Reflects:
The "Road Trip" project opened my eyes to a new way of learning. In all my previous classes in college, projects were mostly based on the traditional analytical or research paper. I now see that there are many ways to learn, and that reading something in a book or attending a lecture is not necessarily the best. You can learn by taking a more experiential approach, which gives the student a completely new perspective on the course work. By actually going on a road trip, I became more engaged in the material and the themes from class. These themes were reinforced, and I was able to build upon them with my own experiences.
I also was able to see that there are many valid ways of presenting your work, besides the traditional paper. It was a much more engaging experience to actually create a scrapbook to go along with my project. By including the pictures and flyers I collected on my trip, the reader is able to gain a wider view of my experiences. Because of the creative nature of this project, I gave it more attention and took more care in my work. The multi-media aspect of this project allowed me to consider other ways in which I could present my ideas to an audience, in addition to the text. I am pleased that I was able to create something that can be more accessible to people that just a paper. The "Road Trip" project became for me more than another paper for college, but an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.
Caitlyn Paley Reflects:
Multi-modal, multi-genre projects such as the “Road Trip” assignment are crucial in the fight to keep students passionate about the curriculum offered by the University. This project had more requirements than Dr. Essid outlined- internalizing the themes of the course and incorporating learning into every experience outside of the classroom were also mandatory. My completion of the project changed the way that I approach all of my classes. I now search for ways to connect with literary characters from an intellectual and emotional level. When analyzing a book from this perspective the themes become relevant and thus unforgettable. The lessons I learn shape the road map of my life. This sentiment can also be applied to more objective courses. I find myself looking for ways to put a creative spin on assignments I previously considered mundane whether through a PowerPoint presentation or even just the addition of a video clip from YouTube. Thanks to the multi-faceted structure of the course I am able to consider every twist in the road as an opportunity for learning.
The Assignment to Take a Road-Trip:
The requirements are rather simple: you must travel at least 100 miles and spend at least one night away from campus. The nature of the trip is up to you. It can be a trip home, a journey into the unknown, a trip taken alone or with others in the class or not.
In your essay, discuss how the trip you make compares to those we've read or seen. Be specific, and use the road-trip essay I wrote to guide you. Just remember that the focus will be on your experience—this is a multi-part project that combines personal experience and literary/film analysis, in which you relate your feelings about your trip and the road to what we've studied.
Students were not required to use any technology beyond a camera and word processor for this project, but I asked them to collect physical artifacts (even speeding tickets--though I did not encourage that!). To complete the assignment, they needed:
a handwritten road diary in which students noted experiences and filter them during the trip itself.
at least 12, and no more than 20, color photographs (digitally tipped into the paper or pasted in scrap-book style) OR
a documentary film of no more than 5 minutes on VHS, DVD, or uploaded to a server where I could view it.
To match the Beatnik urgency of, say, Kerouac (except for the no-hitching rule), I drew these lines in the sand:
trips with family or friends could qualify, but the family members had to follow my guidelines.
the trip had to be in a vehicle that ran on a road: car, truck, horse-drawn wagon, or bus. NO HITCHIKING.
trips for the university such as away games would not count.
writers had to provide receipts or take-out menus to prove that they ate at non-chain restaurants or stayed in a locally owned motel or hotel.
writers had to collect souvenirs that they did not steal. Maps, tourist brochures, and other "road kitsch" were.
Results, Influences: The E-wave crests and breaks:
Some students got very creative, as participants in this workshop will see, hear, read, and touch.
Student Micah Fisher, whose road trip had him doing disaster relief on the Gulf Coast, drew on class experiences for another philanthropic road-trip after graduation, "The Long Walk Home," in which he and three partners raised about $15,000 for earthquake relief in Pakistan by walking home, to New England via the Appalachian Trail, directly after the graduation ceremony. Caitlyn Paley and Anna Dounce, both presenting at CCCC 07, took a cross-country trip to literary and cinematic destinations studied in the course.
Student Bob Quaintance has become involved with GoCo, a company providing road-trip adventures for college students. Bob writes: I first met GoCo's founder, Justin Cross, on a camping trip in the Blue Ridge mountains. He talked to me about his club's ideals: about being a positive alternative to weekend drinking and about being a confidence-boosting program for students who have yet to find their place on campus. After a few road trips to Virginia's scenic points, Justin began training me for being a club leader for next year after he had graduated. As it stands now, the training program is near completion and the new generation of leaders stand ready to spread GoCo to the rest of the UR population.
Photos courtesy of Matt Lonnquest, Joe Essid, and Micah Fisher.
Anna Dounce Reflects:
The "Road Trip" project opened my eyes to a new way of learning. In all my previous classes in college, projects were mostly based on the traditional analytical or research paper. I now see that there are many ways to learn, and that reading something in a book or attending a lecture is not necessarily the best. You can learn by taking a more experiential approach, which gives the student a completely new perspective on the course work. By actually going on a road trip, I became more engaged in the material and the themes from class. These themes were reinforced, and I was able to build upon them with my own experiences.
I also was able to see that there are many valid ways of presenting your work, besides the traditional paper. It was a much more engaging experience to actually create a scrapbook to go along with my project. By including the pictures and flyers I collected on my trip, the reader is able to gain a wider view of my experiences. Because of the creative nature of this project, I gave it more attention and took more care in my work. The multi-media aspect of this project allowed me to consider other ways in which I could present my ideas to an audience, in addition to the text. I am pleased that I was able to create something that can be more accessible to people that just a paper. The "Road Trip" project became for me more than another paper for college, but an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.
Caitlyn Paley Reflects:
Multi-modal, multi-genre projects such as the “Road Trip” assignment are crucial in the fight to keep students passionate about the curriculum offered by the University. This project had more requirements than Dr. Essid outlined- internalizing the themes of the course and incorporating learning into every experience outside of the classroom were also mandatory. My completion of the project changed the way that I approach all of my classes. I now search for ways to connect with literary characters from an intellectual and emotional level. When analyzing a book from this perspective the themes become relevant and thus unforgettable. The lessons I learn shape the road map of my life. This sentiment can also be applied to more objective courses. I find myself looking for ways to put a creative spin on assignments I previously considered mundane whether through a PowerPoint presentation or even just the addition of a video clip from YouTube. Thanks to the multi-faceted structure of the course I am able to consider every twist in the road as an opportunity for learning.
The Assignment to Take a Road-Trip:
In your essay, discuss how the trip you make compares to those we've read or seen. Be specific, and use the road-trip essay I wrote to guide you. Just remember that the focus will be on your experience—this is a multi-part project that combines personal experience and literary/film analysis, in which you relate your feelings about your trip and the road to what we've studied.
Students were not required to use any technology beyond a camera and word processor for this project, but I asked them to collect physical artifacts (even speeding tickets--though I did not encourage that!). To complete the assignment, they needed:
To match the Beatnik urgency of, say, Kerouac (except for the no-hitching rule), I drew these lines in the sand:
Results, Influences: The E-wave crests and breaks:
Student Micah Fisher, whose road trip had him doing disaster relief on the Gulf Coast, drew on class experiences for another philanthropic road-trip after graduation, "The Long Walk Home," in which he and three partners raised about $15,000 for earthquake relief in Pakistan by walking home, to New England via the Appalachian Trail, directly after the graduation ceremony. Caitlyn Paley and Anna Dounce, both presenting at CCCC 07, took a cross-country trip to literary and cinematic destinations studied in the course.
Student Bob Quaintance has become involved with GoCo, a company providing road-trip adventures for college students. Bob writes:
I first met GoCo's founder, Justin Cross, on a camping trip in the Blue Ridge mountains. He talked to me about his club's ideals: about being a positive alternative to weekend drinking and about being a confidence-boosting program for students who have yet to find their place on campus. After a few road trips to Virginia's scenic points, Justin began training me for being a club leader for next year after he had graduated. As it stands now, the training program is near completion and the new generation of leaders stand ready to spread GoCo to the rest of the UR population.
Photos courtesy of Matt Lonnquest, Joe Essid, and Micah Fisher.